Jakarta – Indonesia made progress in some areas last year in its transition to democracy but the government's human rights record remains poor, the US State Department says.

"Security forces were responsible for numerous instances of, at times indiscriminate, shooting of civilians, torture, rape, beatings and other abuse, and arbitrary detention in Aceh, West Timor, Papua ... and elsewhere in the country." the department says in its worldwide report for 2001, released Monday

Soldiers often responded with indiscriminate violence after attacks on colleagues and conducted "sweeps" that led to killing of civilians and property destruction, the report says. Police killed 740 people between June 200 and June 2001, according to Indonesia's Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

Police and troops are battling separatist revolts in Aceh on Sumatra island and in Papua on New Guinea island. The report accuses police, troops and the rebel Free Aceh Movement of "numerous extra-judicial killings" in Aceh. It says the separatists killed dozens of civil society leaders, academics, politicians and other residents in Aceh, as well as civil servants, police and soldiers.

In Papua, the State Department says, security forces "assaulted, tortured, and killed persons during search operations for members of militant groups." Throughout the country, there were reports of the disappearance of civilians with Kontras reporting 55 such cases between January 1 and September.

But the State Department says cross-border raids into East Timor by pro-Jakarta militias resident in West Timor diminished during 2001 as the Indonesian military withdrew its backing. The government's failure to pursue accountability for human rights violations "reinforces the impression that there would be continued impunity for security force abuses."

The report also faults the legal system. "Despite initial steps toward reform, the judiciary remains subordinate to the executive, is corrupt and does not always ensure due process."

Local human rights organisations were targets of the security forces, with killings, abuse and detentions reported. Violence and discrimination against women are widespread problems, the report adds, along with child abuse.

"Discrimination against persons with disabilities, indigenous persons and religious and ethnic minorities also are widespread problems." The government was ineffective "in deterring social, inter-ethnic and inter-religious violence that accounted for the majority of deaths by violence during the year," the report says.